Is it normal after a domain mapping the subdomain does not exist?

After setting up a domain mapping (sub1.com) on a subdomain(sub1.maindomain.com) of a multisite (mainfomain.com). When I type the subdomain on the browser, it redirects me on maindomain.com/wp-signup.php?new=sub1 and says “The site you were looking for, http://sub1.maindomain.com, does not exist.”. Is this normal? The right thing is to redirect me to sub1.com, right?

I believe we get that response too if you only map the subdomain. We do one additional step. We edit the site from the network menu: Network admin -> Sites -> edit -> settings (tab). We modify a few attributes but I think ‘Siteurl’ is the main one. We replace site name, e.g. sub1.com, instead of the default values of ‘sub1.maindomain.com’.

The tutorial that you linked to can achieve something similar to what you are looking for, but you may come across other complications. By setting your cookies to blank, you may have other issue with multisite, or SSL. The plugin will take care of your cookies so you can properly login to your mapped URL domain as if the sub-site were in the URL. If you can change things back to the way they were, then let us know what you are finding.

I’m not one to tell you what to do, especially when I’m not exactly sure. I’m not a plugin author, just a volunteer sharing the WordPress love. My comments are based on troubleshooting the Domain Mapping plugin and issues that folks have had using outdated versions. The best advice you can get from me will be the suggestion to use the plugin and let the plugin author, ie the smart guys, make the decision (of what to do with cookies) for you.

Step 5 Final Steps
If you don’t want to utilize the original sub-domain URL of your child site any more, you may remove all the traces of the URL from the Network Admin Dashboard. For this go to Sites > All Sites and Edit the Site which you have mapped. In each of the tabs search for the old URL and replace it with the new URL….

Top Referrals: and i changed the Network admin>Sites>edit>settings(tab)>Siteurl to sub.maindomain.com

and everything is is ok when i enter any subdomain redirect automatic to subs mapping domain

but…

on google analytics show me everytime when i visit any subs mapping domain
on real time report Top Referrals: maindomain.com
before when i have on the Network admin>Sites>edit>settings(tab)>Siteurl sub.com

the Top Referrals: is empty

is good to have on “Top Referrals” my maindomain? is totaly different content sites.